Tadakatsu Honda is a one of Ieyasu Tokugawa's retainers who attended to his lord in several campaigns. He is Ina's father. After his death, Tadakatsu has been heralded as a mighty and intelligent warrior, said to have returned from all of his battles unscathed. People in the Edo period have lauded him with several honorary titles, one of which includes the Four Guardian Kings of Tokugawa.

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When he was introduced in the first Samurai Warriors, Tadakatsu was but a generic officer fighting under Ieyasu. His defeat at Okehazama was required in order to get Tokugawa to join the Oda.

Tadakatsu is one of Ieyasu's formidable warriors who is famed for his strength in the field. He begins his story by advising his lord to attack the Imagawa at Okehazama. By obliterating Yoshimoto's forces, Ieyasu is able to declare independence and allies with Nobunaga. As a part of their alliance, Tadakatsu assists the Oda troop's escape from Kanegasaki. Years later, when Shingen marches into Mikawa, Tadakatsu vows to protect his allies and requests that Ieyasu escape from the overwhelming Takeda troops.

If an ally falls during their retreat, Tadakatsu is forced to use brute force for his lord's safety and slays Shingen, putting an end to the Takeda. Emphasizing strength over morals and patience, Ieyasu conquers the east with Tadakatsu's feats. Their remaining opposition is Kenshin, who is supported by Masamune and the remnant Takeda followers, Yukimura and Kunoichi. During the battle at Kawanakajima, Tadakatsu helps Hanzō through the eastern path to ambush Kenshin's camp at the mountain top. Waiting for them is Keiji, who eagerly challenges Tadakatsu. After the wild man's defeat, he declares that he will be waiting for a proper duel later. Upon their victory at Kawanakajima, Ieyasu rules the east. In a bid to rule the west, he breaks his alliance with the Oda and faces them at Yamazaki. Slaying Nobunaga and his followers makes Ieyasu the land's new ruler. As Ieyasu retreats back home to celebrate, Tadakatsu remembers his promise with Keiji and rides to duel him at Mt. Tennou. Striking Keiji down, the wild man ponders the purpose behind his rival's strength before he dies. Whilst training at another location, Tadakatsu reflects that the world needs more than might and loyalty and finally relaxes his guard.

Should Tadakatsu protect all of his allies, he remembers the importance of mercy and his duty. After Nobunaga is killed at Honnōji, Ieyasu is pursued by Mitsuhide's army at Iga. With Hanzō guiding their lord to safety, Tadakatsu is given the task of aiding all other allies on the field. Soon after their retreat, Hideyoshi avenges his master and stands as one of the two greatest men in the land. Although Hideyoshi's numbers greatly outnumber their own, Tadakatsu refuses to bow to any other leader and offers for his lord to fight back at Komaki-Nagakute. Routing Hideyoshi's army to defend his master's ambitions, Hideyoshi is able to escape and their dispute remains unsettled. As the Tokugawa army marches through the blackened ruins of the battlefield, Tadakatsu reaffirms his loyalty for his lord's desire for peace.

Samurai Warriors 2 has Tadakatsu support his master against the larger Asakura army at Anegawa. Tadakatsu is given the task of taking the central garrison to assist the rear attack on the Asakura's main camp. Due to his might, the battle is won and he earns the reputation of matching Zhang Fei's legendary strength in battle. When Shingen ambushes his lord and pins them at Mikatagahara, Ieyasu is willing to fight to the death with his men. Knowing the future of the land rests on his lord's shoulders, Tadakatsu advises his lord to retreat instead. As Ieyasu reaches the midway point, Shingen orders his army to charge and four brave Tokugawa followers pose as their lord to ensure Ieyasu's escape to Hamamatsu Castle. Defeating Sakon by the escape point, Tadakatsu orders a full scale retreat as their lord leaves the field. Tadakatsu has the option of defeating Shingen, but regardless of the result, Ieyasu mourns for the men who lost their lives for him. Encouraging his lord to realize the peace they will never see, Ieyasu decides to bare the burden for them.

After Shingen dies from illness and Nobunaga's death at Honnōji, his lord makes an alliance with the Hōjō and they attack the Sanada and Uesugi at Ueda Castle. While a great deal of their generals fall victim to the Sanada's water attack, Tadakatsu presses onward towards the main keep and defeats the zealous Yukimura. The defeat of the young general opens the gate and throws off Masayuki's plans. Whilst storming the main keep, Nobuyuki tries to stop him. His bold defiance impresses Tadakatsu to someday introducing the youth to his daughter. Years later, the power of the land is disputed between Mitsunari and Ieyasu, clashing their forces at Kusegawa. Sakon, who plans to use the setting to crush Ieyasu's men, directs the Eastern army into an ambush. Tadakatsu defies him by ordering the swift rescue of his isolated allies and leading an all-out attack. As the armies gather to end their differences, Tadakatsu decides to make Sekigahara his final battle for peace. With his duty fulfilled at last, he plants his beloved spear into the ground and bids a rest to the chaotic age.

In his dream mode, he participates in a tournament for champions. There, he faces Keiji, Musashi, Kotarō, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, and Masamune to prove himself the mightiest warrior of the age.

Samurai Warriors: Katana introduces Tadakatsu in the Swordsman scenario where he stands guard over his lord at the Battle of Ōsaka Castle. His unexpected defeat causes the Tokugawa to fear the protagonist's might and cease their attack on the Toyotomi. The Stealth scenario has him return to Mikawa in order to expel the Fūma clan; he loses his life as a result. In the Unification scenario, the player must subdue him in time before the Uesugi's escape route from Hasedō is cut off.

Facing insurmountable odds from the Takeda army, Tadakatsu and his daughter proudly guard their lord at Mikatagahara in the third title. Scolding the Tokugawa men to live and not die for their lord, both he and his daughter have a small bout with Sakon and Yukimura. As Ieyasu pulls back from the disastrous battlefront, Shingen places his men in a pincer and traps their lord from the east and west. Protecting his daughter from danger and defeating Yukimura and Sakon, Tadakatsu then pulls back to protect his lord from Kunoichi and Shingen. Upon their defeat, the Takeda commander realizes that the tables have turned and orders his men to pull back. Soon after, Ieyasu's life is in danger when Mitsuhide assassinates Nobunaga at Honnōji. Crossing through Iga and placing his life in Tadakatsu's strength, the general clears a path by defeating Kotarō and Motochika for his master's safe return to Mikawa.

Hideyoshi rises to power afterwards and rivals Ieyasu for the land's ruler. As their forces confront one another at Komaki-Nagakute, Tadakatsu fights to swiftly bring victory for his lord and defeats Hideyoshi's "children" (Mitsunari, Kiyomasa, and Masanori), Nene, and Toshiie. Bested by Tadakatsu, Hideyoshi admits defeat and asks Ieyasu if he can create a land worthy in Nobunaga's image. Ieyasu instead offers that they work together to create a land of prosperity. For now, Ieyasu is content to have Hideyoshi rule the land and decides to settle his differences with the Takeda loyalists at Ueda Castle. After Hideyoshi's death, Ieyasu pushes for his right to take control of the land, giving his personal apologies to his belated friend but remaining undaunted in his conquest. Similar to his previous counterpart, Tadakatsu decides to have his last battle at Sekigahara for the land's peace. Routing several generals on the west, including Ginchiyo and Muneshige, victory is declared once Mitsunari dies. Tadakatsu returns unscathed to the delight of his lord and comrades.

Sengoku Musou 3: Empires has Tadakatsu resume his duties to Ieyasu when the latter renews his ambitions for the land. After defending their lord from Sakon's assassins, he and Ina hope to recruit Yukimura as an ally to no avail. Nonetheless, their efforts help the Tokugawa seize the land while the surviving members of the Western army are exiled to parts unknown.

Tadakatsu continues to fight for Ieyasu's forces in every campaign but Osaka Castle in Samurai Warriors 4. He and his daughter volunteer to act as Ieyasu's rear guard at Mikatagahara. When Ieyasu is shocked by their actions, Tadakatsu simply restates his oath of loyalty to his lord as his answer. Years later, his lord remembers his pledge and confides his trust in him at Sekigahara. Tadakatsu answers his lord's wishes to protect him by fatally cutting down Toyohisa.

In the aftermath of Sekigahara, Nobuyuki, and Ina plea for Ieyasu to spare the captured Yukimura. Takatora states in Ieyasu's stead the reasoning for the youth's necessary death: he is too dangerous to keep alive and his survival would disgrace those who fell at Ueda Castle. Upon hearing these assessments, Tadakatsu interrupts and joins the request to spare Yukimura. If his lord means to execute Yukimura with his current charges against the Sanada, then he must kill the married Sanada couple and himself to complete his command. Only then does Ieyasu give in and accept. After Yukimura's exile is issued, Tadakatsu disappears from the main narrative.

4-II shapes him into a prominent mentor figure for Naomasa in the Clash of Wills story. Once his comrade matures, they become trusted comrades-in-arms. Tadakatsu hasn't completely abandoned his reproachful concerns for his partner, continuing his competitive taunts even as they fight the remnants of the Western Army together.

He is the instigator for the husbands and wives downloadable scenario. Ina has been married to Nobuyuki, yet Tadakatsu can't completely come to terms with it. He challenges other married couples to prove their love and instruct the newly weds in a mock battle, facing the victors himself. Admitting his sound defeat to the power of marriage, Tadakatsu resolves to choke the personal gripes he has being separated from his daughter.

During Orochi's story, Ieyasu laments sending Tadakatsu away to survey the terrain when his castle is invaded by the serpent king's forces. While he was away from his lord in the story of Warriors Orochi, Tadakatsu and his sons save innocents from Orochi's tyranny. On some occasions, he encounters his rival, Lu Bu. He then helps each of the four coalitions of Shu, Wei, Wu and the Samurai coalition in their attempt to defeat Orochi's forces, and can join the coalition if he is impressed enough in the encounter. He is one of the two characters that can appear in each faction and have a unique dialogue with Orochi on the final stages of each faction, the other is his Dynasty Warriors counterpart, Lu Bu.

By the time Warriors Orochi 2 takes place, Tadakatsu returns to his lord and joins the Shu army. At the Battle of Nagashino, he joins Zhang Fei in his mission to plow through Lu Bu's army, remarking that he is fighting with the true greats now. The two men also personally wish for their daughters' safety when the girls leave for a reconnaissance mission.

Tadakatsu appears in two dream stages in this title. He teams up with Zhang Fei and Musashi to demonstrate their expertise with their weapons. Tadakatsu personally volunteers to rescue his lord from danger and open a path for the main camp. In his second dream stage, he teams up with Lu Bu and Keiji to test their might against Orochi. When they near the main camp's gates, Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Pang De, and others challenge them to prove their worth in battle. Tadakatsu agrees to their request.

Retaining his loyalties to Ieyasu in Warriors Orochi 3 Tadakatsu was one of the defenders stationed at Yangping Gate, a protective gate before Chengdu. Since Chengdu is overrun in the original timeline, it's implied that Tadakatsu either fled or died fighting the serpent forces. When the coalition from the future head towards the gate to warn Shu and Tokugawa of the danger the Hydra poses, Tadakatsu shares the belief that their visitors have blindly swore their allegiance to Da Ji and declare them their enemies. Once the coalition members prove their honest intentions to him, he lends his strength for their cause.

Tadakatsu then assists the pinned down Wei forces at Luo Castle to make sure Guo Jia doesn't go missing. He and Zhang Fei later take part in the search for his isolated daughter at Yiling.

During the events of Ultimate, Tadakatsu, Lu Xun, and Zhuge Dan are tasked with using the enchanted mirror to seal Tamamo for good at Wan Castle. Unfortunately, it only forces her to transform into the being known as Kyūbi.

In the main story of Pokémon Conquest, Tadakatsu does not hold the reputation of being the greatest warrior of the land. He is instead known as a general who is close to Ieyasu and acts as his lord's protector. When Ieyasu mourns for the beaten Pokémon partners in his battle with the protagonist, Tadakatsu is the one to encourage him to press onward for them. His words inspire Ieyasu to see the battle to its end. He withdraws with his lord after the protagonist takes Fukutsu Castle.

In Kessen, Tadakatsu acts as one of Ieyasu's advisers and his most prized general on the field. His martial skills surpass his lord in the first title but he is given a smaller amount of troops to balance himself with the rest of the army. He continues to act as Ieyasu's aid until his son takes over his position.

He resumes this role to a lesser degree in Kessen III. He aids his lord at Nagashino with rifle troops, but he mainly appears with sturdy spear or cavalry units in battle.

During Nobunaga no Yabou 201X's Strange Tale of Mikatagahara event, Tadakatsu is separated from his lord by the UMA horde. As he sought to fight his way back, he spotted Marihime (one of Shingen's daughters) surrounded by UMA. Her courageous resistance reminded him of Ina so he unabashedly hurries to her aid. He miscalculated the size of the threat, and the duo are nearly overrun. They are saved by the SLO agents and Nobutada's party.

Once they have a break, Tadakatsu humbles himself before his uncle; in his mind, he is no where near Tadazane's skill or Ina's bravery. Yet Tadazane's bravado heartens him to further devote himself to his duties. The Honda pair proudly fight side-by-side for the rest of the UMA extermination.

Tadakatsu receives a named appearance in Geten no Hana Yumeakari during Ieyasu's personal route. He interrupts one of his lord's conversations with Hotaru to deliver a letter from Mikawa. Once he sees the princess beside Ieyasu, he wholeheartedly thanks her for helping his lord overcome his fear of women. Hotaru warmly agrees to the retainer's enthusiastic request to keep supporting his lord, unaware of the deeper connotations of her words and Ieyasu's bashfulness over them. Tadakatsu continues to worry about his lord and is the first to inform Hotaru about anything which he deems peculiar.

In Saihai no Yukue, Tadakatsu resumes his role as Ieyasu's vassal. He admires his lord greatly and is sincerely trusted by his lord in turn. He bravely declares that he has never been injured in any battle and is often seen as an obstacle for Mitsunari to overcome. He has a minor rivalry with Yoshihiro as the two veterans are eager to test their skills against one another. Humorously, he drags his beaten body to his lord after their defeat at Sekigahara and promptly loses consciousness afterward.

Once again seen as Ieyasu's steadfast general in Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanshi, Tadakatsu trusts his lord and enthusiastically stays true to his duties. Despite being named one of the Four Guardian Kings, Tadakatsu is left mystified by his lord's actions and can't relate to Ieyasu in the slightest. Baffled yet undeterred, Tadakatsu at least serves his lord's purposes in battle as his might is feared by those in the Mōri army. He participates in all three battles against the Mōri and bravely dedicates the battle at Gifu Castle as his last. When defeated, he dies whilst expressing his loyalties to Ieyasu.

Tadakatsu was conceptualized to have an aura of being "the strongest" for the Samurai Warriors series. Designers struggle to keep the strength of his three iconic items with history fans intact with each entry. To emphasize the idea of power and to parallel Keiji's tiger designs, he has a dragon tail attached to the back of his armor. His second design sought to rework his armor with more plating to focus on the tail, as if to fortify his stature.

The fourth title's design cuts back on his armor to make it appear more maneuverable. His concept was challenging for his designer, Hayaken. Supervisors remark that it required nearly as many retakes as Nobunaga's before finalizing. His charm point for this entry is that his deer horns now point backwards.

A scrupulous and puissant individual who firmly believes in Ieyasu, Tadakatsu swears to be his master's undaunted blade in war. Revered for his might and uninjured reputation, he is seen as the ideal embodiment for a warrior on the battlefront. He doubles as Ieyasu's sound aide in earlier titles, but his importance as a general is gradually put into the focus as the series develops. Proud of his perfect record, Tadakatsu boldly dares any challengers to try to best him in combat. If there are valorous fighters he deems worthy of praise, he won't hesitate to spare a few words for them. In the Japanese script, he rarely calls himself by any conventional pronouns, replacing them with his full name, his samurai name (平八郎, Heihachirō), or a combination of his name and samurai name. When he does use pronouns, he uses the humble terms common with samurai in fiction.

Even though he is best known as a stern warrior of power, Tadakatsu is a formal and perceptive man who admires his venerable spear, Tonbo-giri. He equates his spear to be his comrade-in-arms, sometimes calling upon it to grant him victory in battle. Tadakatsu expresses similar concerns to the rest of Ieyasu's army and Nobuyuki, earning their respect when they are in dire straights. His collective nature is like Hanzō's and they frequently coordinate their efforts for Ieyasu's beliefs. He may gift his comrades with his personal wood carvings during their spare time. His latest incarnation plays his warrior composure for laughs when out of battle; he adheres to it so much it makes him seem too dated and stubborn to conform to casual pleasantries.

He cares for his daughter's safety and is her idol for conduct. Tadakatsu is proud of her accomplishments yet stresses that she mustn't falter to achieve their lord's vision with absolute focus. In his newest incarnation, he is lonely when she is married and struggles to cope with his paternal concerns for her. Once Naomasa reaches the age to fight, he considers the youth his equal and a worthy man to entrust the Tokugawa's future. Yet he never calls Naomasa by name. He prefers to snub him as "Rookie" (新入り, shiniri) and roughly taunts him to prove himself. Tadakatsu is used to Naomasa's bitter remarks for his obscure praise; it takes time for his comrade to comprehend and appreciate him.

Tadakatsu has three legendary trademarks known by history fans: his black body-wrap armor, his deer horn helmet, and Tonbogiri. The armor is often adorned with large prayer beads, said to be worn as a form of mourning those fallen in combat, by his hand or otherwise. Tadakatsu's armor aims to be easy to maneuver in when worn and isn't too heavy, thus making his unscathed record very momentous. Ieyasu is famed to have once remarked, "Manchiyo (Naomasa Ii) wears heavy protection and it's always marred with scratches; yet Heihachirō (Tadakatsu) remains completely intact even with such light armor."

His deer horn helmet is said to have its origins when Tadakatsu was fourteen years old and coming back after a battle. Stuck in dreadful weather, the waters of Yahagi River began to rise to a dangerous level and it looked impossible to cross. By chance, Tadakatsu happened to spot a deer treading through the river and watched it safely cross. He mimicked the deer's actions and was able to return home in one piece. Feeling forever grateful to the animal for saving his life, Tadakatsu later had his helmet fashioned in its honor.

Tonbogiri is Tadakatsu's legendary spear and one of the Three Great Spears of Japan. The creator of the spear is so far not known. According to traditional legend, it was made by Fujiwara no Masazane. If one is to investigate, however, there isn't much found regarding the swordsmith, making his existence unclear. However, Muramasa was said to have had a younger brother under the same given name who was taught Ise swordsmithing techniques. Since Masazane hasn't been found to have actually served Ieyasu, some people think the name is a typo, and that the weapon was actually forged by Muramasa himself. The spear is said to have been named once it was standing upright. A dragonfly happened to fly on the top of the spear's tip, instantly being sliced in two due to its sharpness. Its length is said to be about six meters, nearly double the length of a normal spear. Tadakatsu was said to have personally asked for the length, stating that it was best to have a longer spear for battle. After seeing his skill with the spear, Nobunaga was said to have praised him as "Our land's Zhang Fei". Although the original spear and his armor were lost from the Honda clan after the Osaka Campaign, a replica can be seen on display at Okazaki Castle. His spear is used in his various appearances in fiction, being his first weapon in Samurai Warriors 2 -or his second weapon for his debut. In the Samurai Warriors series, however, the particular weapon is simply called his personal spear of choice rather than by its full name.

In the Samurai Warriors series, he's symbolized by the character for "resound" (轟), the character for "roar" (哮), and blue and yellow electric streaks. His trait of calling himself "Tadakatsu" in the series is tied to a legend regarding its creation. His given name was said to be a personification of the phrase, "only for victory" (ただ勝つのみ, Tada katsu nomi).

Tadakatsu's third weapon -fourth weapon in his debut- is originally named Ningen Mukō.

Arahabaki is a Japanese god known to be celebrated within the Tōhoku region; it forms the namesake for his fifth spear in the first title, fourth weapon in the second, and Unique in the third. Unlike several gods in Japanese mythology, Arahabaki isn't listed in Japanese mythological records and is highly believed to have been a manifestation devised and celebrated by locals. Arahabaki was first thought to have originated from India, was told to merchants or travelers in China, and then told through word of mouth in Japan. Since different regions have their own interpretation of Arahabaki, it has been accepted as a marōtogami or a god formed by travelers going to different prefectures. During the Yayoi period, Arahabaki was named as the highest rank god by tribes throughout the land. It continued to be known as such within the Kiki, but the introduction of Buddhism nearly eradicated the god's worship. With the several erected shrines left behind, the writings on them have been faded and, by the Edo Period, their purpose in mythology became largely unknown. Locals have accepted Arahabaki as a god of wood, a snake god, a dragon god, a god of highways or footpaths, a god of iron, a mountain god, and so on. Although a god of mystery, a statue has been seen nearby Shitennō-ji, leading many to believe it has some sort of ties with the Four Heavenly Kings in Buddhism.

His rarest spears all share the same name in the three games. They are named after Gōzanze Myō-oh. Tadakatsu's spear is formed to be like Myō-oh's hand and its name implies it has the power to strike down Enma.

, (), (): Holds his spear upwards with both hands above himself, then powerfully swings his spear and swings it two more times to send out clearing waves that get bigger per button press.

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, , , (), (), ():

, , , , (), (), (): Performs a series of three spear slashes and smashes the ground creating a small horizontal geyser flowing in front of him. The attack resumes as Tadakatsu swipes his spear back and forth to the left and right before twirling while facing diagonally upward, then finishes with a powering-up gesture for an earthquake. This attack is the most complicated as it requires more than just three presses of the triangle button.

, , , , , , , :

, :

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: Swings his spear back and forth to the left and right. Level 3 version has exploding short pillars of light surrounding the attack.

Moveset remains relatively the same except the ending charges of his normal attacks are omitted. Like the rest of the cast, his horse musou changes to a damaging stampede by his horse. He also gains a Level 3 Musou, R1 skills, and a new charge attack in the Xtreme Legends expansion.

, , , , :(Xtreme Legends only) Howls and swings spear forward. Hurls five damaging balls of energy. If used properly, it can be one of the most damaging attacks in the game.

:

R1 + : Regain one division of musou gauge. The more enemies that get hit by this skill, the more Musou is gained.

Tadakatsu in Samurai Warriors is made to be a powerful fighter with good range despite his mediocre speed. His greatest strength lies in defense, making it difficult for enemies to take him down. His C4 is a good move for dueling officers and crowd clearing. Also, his first R1 ability becomes more effective when used within a large cluster of foes.

In Warriors Orochi, Tadakatsu's defensive capabilities is further improved due to his status as a power-type character. Combined with the buff effects of his R1 attack, he can endure most attacks even in higher difficulty levels.